When Brian and I had first started dating, he faced a really awful month as his Dad faced the possibility of major surgery. Around that time, Green Day had released ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’. It was so fitting; we played it on repeat.
July 2025 said “hold my beer.” Looking back at my planner, literally from July 1 through July 31, it was a burning dumpster fire of dirty diaper garbage for our whole family. I’m always searching for perspective, for meaning, for lessons to make something positive out of BLECHT, but sometimes it’s just easier to feel sorry for yourself, lie in bed and order Runza for delivery.
August 1. My journal prompt was, “think about those you admire. What qualities make them so special? How can you better embody these qualities this month?” Ironically, two of the people I deeply admire are also the reasons July brought us so much grief. We lost two incredibly men: Chris Beeler and Billy Cueto. This post is intended to not only share the lessons I’m reflecting on from these two awesome people, but I hope it’s a way to show Cathy, Kacie, and everyone who loved Billy and Chris that they will never be forgotten. That even in these weeks and months later as everyone has gone back home and the calls and texts have stopped, that people are still thinking of, and will always be thinking of, the legacies these two created.
This is Chris Beeler. To me, Chris was an especially kind man with an incredible gift: he could always make others laugh and smile.
This picture? It happened because of Chris. He was the face behind the camera making my children laugh. For many years, Chris and Cathy Beeler were not only our friends, they were the trusted duo we asked to take our family photos. Any parent knows, it ain’t easy getting your babies and toddlers to participate or behave for a photo session… yet somehow, Chris always found a way to connect with our boys. Fake farts, lollipops, jokes, funny voices… Chris had an indisputable gift to bring out the best in every child and family he worked with. The result: memories like this I will treasure for the rest of my life. As my boys grow into teenagers, photographs like this bring me to tears; Chris and Cathy helped me somehow capture these moments in time that I will never be able to get back. They did the same for countless other families through photos, but more so, through friendships, compassion, and humor.
Chris bravely battled cancer for many years. He and Cathy thought they had beaten it, and then over the last year, new scans revealed it had returned. He died at home on June 20, surrounded by those who love him most. In the weeks that followed, friends and family each shared what they would remember about Chris. His incomparable creative talents and vision that led to a legendary career in broadcasting. Omaha area friends: do you remember the KPTM Kids Club? It was Chris’s idea and project, one of his many success stories that led to multiple national and international Emmys, Tellys, and Promax awards. I learned that Chris and Cathy, the epitome of soul mates and best friends for 43 years, had gotten engaged after only knowing each other for 30 days. That same beautiful connection Chris showed with my kids was exponentially evident with his own cherished grandchildren, who called him Poppy. He ALWAYS shared his sense of humor with the world; taking photos of himself wig-shopping during chemotherapy, posing with funny faces no matter how awful he might’ve felt, reminding baseball fans everywhere that his Mets were the ONLY team to cheer for. And I learned that Chris, who converted to Catholicism in 2006, devoted the last 10 years of his life to making others’ lives better. He was a daily volunteer with the St. Vincent De Paul Alpha program, RCIA, and delivering communion to the homebound. He drove an elderly blind woman to weekly mass. He was known as the “church hugger”, always ready with a warm embrace, a prayer or a joke for all he encountered. In the final weeks of his life, Chris asked that anyone thinking about him also think of others by creating ‘pay it forward’ bags to be shared with those in need throughout our community. In his obituary, his family shared that Chris left them countless handwritten notebooks filled with his thoughts. Among one of his final messages, he wrote: “I came, I gave, I loved.”
This is Billy Cueto. To me, Billy was Brian’s hilarious cousin; we always looked forward to seeing him at family events, never knowing what crazy thing Billy would do to make us laugh. Look up ‘life of the party’: it was always Billy.
Billy was also one of the most thoughtful people I have ever met. He was an usher in our wedding, and we saw later he was at the back of the church, helping our young ring bearer and flower girl. At a family wedding, Billy stood next to our walker-bound elderly aunt, dancing with her as she sat so she wouldn’t feel left out. During the pandemic, Billy took the time to FaceTime with Easton and Evan to teach them about Anguilla, the Caribbean island where he lived. One of the last times we saw him, he brought fancy hotel robes not just for me, but for my Mom, who he’d only met a few times.
We were just a few of the countless people Billy impacted throughout his life. He was a Four Seasons General Manager who started out at the bottom and worked his way to the very top of his company through incredible work ethic and dedication to simply caring about other people. He treated everyone with kindness and respect, from top clients included LeBron James and Jon Bon Jovi, to the gardeners and housekeeping staff at the resorts he ran.
Billy married Kacie in January, and together, they dedicated their lives to the people of Nevis, their newest resort assignment and home. They led fundraisers to improve the local senior living center, they volunteered and advocated for Nevis Animal Speaks, they grew gardens and helped develop new health and wellness projects. Kacie and Billy made it their mission to really know and embrace the people of Nevis. They didn’t just make a difference financially, but personally volunteered, invested in not only the success of their resort but the people and community they called home.
Billy was taking a walk in his beloved Nevis on June 28 when he collapsed. Passersby saw him and called for help but Billy died. It was just a few days before his 48th birthday. It was just 6 months since he and Kacie got married. Brian and I had been planning to visit them in November.
Once again, as much of an impact as Billy had on us, it became clear that we were just one piece of an incredible life that spanned decades, geographies, communities. The Premier of Nevis shared his condolences, calling Billy a “passionate visionary who deeply cared for our island and its people.” The Four Seasons offered free hotel rooms for all of our family to attend Billy’s funeral; many of their staff members from around the world flew in to pay their respects. The people of Nevis held their own service for Billy, many sharing their stories of how he made it a point to know so many personally, no matter their role; how he made them laugh; how even as General Manager he was the first to jump in to help in the kitchen or in the laundry room. And in beautiful tributes from Kacie, our Aunt Mary Lee, Billy’s brother Kevin, and our dear friend Jeff, who was Billy’s best friend, we knew that his humor, his spirit, the life and vitality that shined so brightly, had been there since the day Billy was born. It’s like he was meant to be on earth to make life better and happier for other people.
When I read: “think about those you admire. What qualities make them so special? How can you better embody these qualities this month?” I immediately thought of Chris and Billy.
When I’m battling through a month like July, I often go to a really bitter place where I focus on all the things I feel like I’m doing and giving and FOR WHAT? Why bother, when I watch others move through life so selfishly, sometimes cruelly, without any thought or care for others, and WHEN DO I GET TO BE LAZY? When do I get to rest and stop trying to be the good guy for everyone and everything?
I just can’t. And that attitude sucks. Because when I sit back and look at people like Chris and Billy, I realize I want to be like them. I want to make people laugh. I want to make life better for other people. I want to pursue my passions and dreams and feel joy without guilt, worry or regret. I want to make a difference in a world that seems so dark and scary. I want to make people feel like they are special; I want them to look forward to seeing me because maybe I can be that light. I want to know that when I leave this world, maybe it and the people in it are just a little bit better.
I saw this online, and boy, it hit hard.
“People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life. Like, loving everybody all the time, and being nice. Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”
I feel like I ask every time someone close to us passes, I ask, “why them?” Of course, I don’t wish for anyone to die, but why does it always seem and feel that the very best of us are taken; people, their light, their kindness, that we so desperately need right now.
I don’t pretend to know God’s plan, and I absolutely believe He has one for each of us. We never know when our book will end; we can only do our best to write every chapter with as much material as we can fit into it. And man, did Chris and Billy do just that. If the meaning of life is to love, to live our best lives here on earth with the time we have been given, and to help others do the same, then Chris and Billy accomplished that in spades and both have created legacies that have continued, and will continue, even though they are no longer with us.
Chris and Cathy asked that we consider supporting the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, to continue sharing the kindness and compassion for those less fortunate that Chris believed in so dearly (click here to learn more.) You can also donate directly to the Chris Beeler Memorial Fund through St. Frances Cabrini SVDP at 1248 S. 10th Street, Omaha, NE 68018.
I didn’t know Chris or Billy well enough to assume or guess what their message to you might be. I can only share my message: that their deaths have reminded me our time on earth is so very short. We blink and those photos and moments and things that make life beautiful are soon just memories. I want to live like Chris and Billy. And every new month, every new day, every new hour, is an opportunity to start fresh.
Be present. Be grateful. Live. Love. Don’t waste one moment.
For Chris. For Billy. For all who love them.
The 402 